Daily Running = Sore!

Besides being tired all the time, I've been working hard on remaining consistent with my training and diet. By in large, I've been successful at both, with a few stagger steps along the way. To accomplish my running goals, I've been commuting to work on foot with Osprey Talon 22 backpack and water bladder. When stocked with my work clothes, water, hygiene kit, and food it weighs about 12-15 pounds. I often forget to update my weight on Daily Mile for these runs, which us used to calculate the calories expended during the workout. It's a good thing I'm not too worried about it!  I'm more worried about whether or not I'm consuming enough calories to offset those burned!

In general, I'm trying to run each day, though I haven't really gotten into a full seven day streak. In the very least, I run five days, with an occasional sixth thrown in for good measure. Where I've really fallen behind this season is in getting out of  Phase I, or mileage and base building. Like my friend Keath^[1], I've been using the Daniels Running Formula as the basis for my training. Unlike Keath, I haven't been able to make it very far in the plan! I do have excuses, and they're relatively good ones. The fact remains that I haven't really had time to put in some quality workouts, those not run at an Easy - slower than Marathon - pace.


I'm still not sure if anyone has really applied Daniels' approach to ulra-marathon training, but I'm not yet an ultra-marathon runner. with over 4,600 feet of elevation gain^[2], Moose Mountain Marathon doesn't really fall into the "marathon" or even "run" buckets.  Frankly, it's more of a hike separated by running and walking. To prepare, I need to strengthen my quads and hamstrings, but to benefit from this work, I need about three weeks of time from the effort. With less than four weeks to the race, this is the week for quality!

Sunday, I started it out with a hill repeat run. After a 3 mile warm-up run around Lake Joesphine, I ran repeats on Edgewater Avenue up to Lexington Parkway. The hill is about 100 yards long and 50 or so feet of elevation gain. I didn't sprint for the eight repetitions, but I'm sure I went far faster than an Interval effort, hence the designation of a Repeat. Hopefully it will pay off in September.

One thing is for certain, my legs have "felt it" ever since. A combination of my increased, yet still very modest, mileage and the hill workout has left my legs sore. Wednesday night, my quads started to cramp up while sitting in a recliner and my shins were starting to say, "Give us a break!" Although there are no real scheduled "rest days" in the Daniels' plan, I took Thursday off! I'm feeling better today and will get in a half hour to 45 minute Easy run in before mowing the lawn, packing, and heading off to camp!

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¹Keath recently completed the MOOnlight Half Marathon in Davis, California. Congratulations!
²Aid Stations, Map and Data

Tired all the Time!

Baby Nora at seven weeks!

The Walstrom house has been full of diapers, bottles, and a crying baby, but her cuteness makes up for the mess and lack of sleep!  Nora is our third child and first girl and will have the honor of always being our little baby.

Initially, our little peanut would have at most two ounces of formula, and she would be up every 2-3 hours. She's now drinking six ounces, which really amounts to seven when you've added the formula, and sleeping anywhere between 4-6 hours. Occasionally, we get luck and have an entire night of sleep!

Meghan has been a real trooper, and we've had some real moments of stress due to the lack of sleep. I'm starting to see light at the end of this tunnel, and Meghan has been noticeably more relaxed and rested. Of course, "rested" is relative these days.

Ryan (5)

Connor and Ryan have adjusted well to live with a baby, though we do have lots of reminders to, "Be quiet. Your sister is sleeping!" They have been enamored with their Nintendo 3DS games, with Ryan making some outstanding leaps in proficiency. Most of these games include in-game written instructions on how to play as you progress, teaching you new techniques and strategies. Ryan has been amazing me with what he can recognize and understand. When you have real motivation, you can accomplish amazing feats!

Connor had a similar experience, though I attributed it (and some Ryan's growth) to a different gaming platform, the Leap Frog product line. Their games are specifically designed to teach reading and arithmetic, whereas the software companies that create games for the Nintendo line of products generally focus on entertainment. If you're looking to purchase a digital gaming system for your 3-5 year old, concentrate on Leap Frog, or shop specifically for titles on the Nintendo platform that focus on education.

Ryan (5) and Connor (7)
in the Rocket Ship Slide

The common thread here is that education needs to be fun! Speaking of fun, Connor and I will be attending an overnight Cub Scout camping experience this weekend at Camp Phillipo in Cannon Falls, MN! I think I'm more excited than he is, and Meghan is terrified about being home alone with Nora and Ryan! If anyone wants to come over and keep Meghan company, take Ryan off her hands, or just watch the kids for a few hours so she can catch a nap, I'm sure she would be very appreciative!

Take care, and have a great weekend!